SOLAR CELLS AND THE PHOTO-ELECTRIC EFFECT.

The photo-electric effect.

 Solar electricity is the direct conversation of sunlight to electricity. Light striking
photo-electric effect .solar electric devices are also called photovoltaic (pv) devices.
 The photo-electric effect was first discovered in the 1890’s by a French physicist. He
noticed that when some materials were exposed to light they produced an electric
current.

How solar cells work.

 Solar cells rely on the special electric properties of silicon (or other semiconductor
materials) which enable it to as both an insulator and a conductor. Especially
treated silicon “surf” or “push” electrons dislodged by solar energy across an
electric field on the cell to produce an electric current.
 Solar radiations are composed of millions of tiny high-energy particles called
photons. When photon of sufficient energy strikes silicon atom in a solar cell, it
knocks the outermost silicon atom in a solar cell, it knocks the outermost silicon
electron out of its orbit around the nucleus, freeing it to move across the cell’s
electric field, they cannot come back. As many electrons cross the cell’s field, the
back side of the cell develops a negative charge.
 If a load is connected between negative and positive side of the cell, the electrons
flow as a current
 If the light stops striking the cell, the current stops flowing immediately.
Three basic processes that occur in a solar cell.

1. The unit of radiation, the photon must be absorbed in the active part of the material resulting
in electrons being excited to a higher energy potential.
2. The charge carrier created by the photon absorption must be physically separated and moved
to the edge of the cell.
3. The charge carriers must be removed from cell and delivered to a useful load before they use
their extra energy.

Solar cell characteristics.

 Natural voltage of silicon is around 0.5 so each cell can generate approximately 0.5v regardless
of its size.
 Voltage is affected by temperature.
 Current generated depends on:
I. Surface area of the solar cell.
II. Incoming insolation.

Solar cell technology:

 Solar cells produce electricity when placed in the sunlight. Mono and poly crystalline type cells
breakage or exposure to the elements.
 Several varieties of silicon- type solar cells and solar cell modules are available. They include
modules made of mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline and amorphous silicon. Mono-crystalline to
cells that form single crystals of silicon. A crystal is the regular geometric state taken up by
elements in certain conditions. Poly-crystalline refers to cells made from many crystals.
Amorphous type cells are made from silicon that is not in crystalline form and are less costly
than the poly- and mono-crystalline cells.
 Mono- and poly-crystalline solar cells are silicon wafers sliced from cylindrical silicon crystal
using very precise saws. These wafers are then chemically treated in furnaces to enhance their
reflective properties, after which an anti-reflective coating is applied to the cell surface to help it
absorb radiation more effectively. Thin metal wires are soldered to the front of the cell. These
ribbons of metal on the cell act as the positive contact, whereas a solid layer of metal on the
back side of the cell acts as a negative contact see the figure 1. Previously.

Mono-crystalline

 These cells have an efficiency of 11.5%(if solar radiation is striking the cell at a perpendicular
angle with an intensity of 1000w/m2, 110 to 160 watts per m2 of solar cell is converted to
electricity).

Advantages of mono-crystalline cells.

Are chemically stable hence last long.

Poly-crystalline (multi-crystalline):

These cells have a slightly efficiency than mono-crystalline cells (9-13%).

Advantages

I. Have a long lifetime.

II. Don’t degrade overtime
III. Mono-crystalline cells have a single color while poly-crystalline have multiple patterns.

Amorphous (thin film).

 The most recently developed solar technology

 They do not use silicon in crystal form. Instead, silicon material is deposited in the back of a
glass or plastic surface in very thin layers. The surface is then scored to divide it into a number
of cells, and electrical connections are added.

Advantages

 These cells are mostly used in toys, calculators and watches.

 When new they produce 20% more power than their rating.

Disadvantages

They degrade over time

Solar cell, modules and arrays

Arrangement of many solar cell wired in series, sealed between glass and plastic and supported inside
a metal frame is called solar cell module. Groups of module mounted together are called array.

Module ratings:

 All solar cell modules are rated according to their maximum output, or peak power. The peak
power abbreviated as Wp is defined as the amount of power a solar cell module can be
expected to deliver at noon on a sunny day when facing directly at the sun referred to as STC
(standard test conditions).
 By counting the number of cells in a module, it is possible to estimate its voltage.
 For charging 12v battery, modules have between 30-36 solar cells.
 A 40Wp module with between 33-36 can harvest enough electricity to power the lights and
small appliances.

Arrays

Often, a number of modules are required to meet the power requirements at a site. When mounted
together groups of modules are referred to as arrays.

Output of solar cell modules

  The output (power) of a module depends on the number of cells in the module depends on the
number of cells and the type of cells in the module and the surface area of the cells.
 The output of the module changes depending on:
I. The amount of solar radiation
II. The angle of the module with respect to the surface
III. The temperature of the module
IV. The voltage at which the load (battery) is drawing power from the module.

The I-V curve

 Each solar cell and module has its own particular set of operating characteristics that can be
described by the current-voltage curve. I-V curves used to compare solar cell modules, and to
determine their performance at varies levels of insolation and temperature.

 The I-V curve is for a 42 Wp. At each point along the line, it is possible to determine the power
of the module by multiplying the current times the voltage.
Example, if a battery is charged by a module and reaches 12v at point A , the current from the
module is 3.2 amps at point A
Therefore
Power=amps x volts
=3.2A X 12V=38.4Watts.